US: Invista launches underwear quality standards

Invista plans to introduce new quality standards for underwear fabrics and two new Lycra-based underwear platforms.

A survey conducted by the fibre producer found a number of gaps in the underwear market, including a lack of consistency in current fabric testing measures and no suitable basic standard for underwear fabrics.

"Invista was surprised to identify such a gap and problem in the underwear market, and we have spent time and resources in the past years to fill this gap with a proprietary test method, which is part of a new quality standard specifically engineered for low Lycra fibre content fabrics blended with natural fibres that go into underwear," said Invista's global underwear segment leader Kim Chi Phung.

"We are raising the bar in the underwear industry to bring the end-consumers more comfortable and longer-lasting underwear, and we're very excited about what this will mean for the market.

"With this, underwear has become a new strategic marketing focus for us."

The company has also designed two new Lycra platforms for underwear, Lycra Int!mate and Lycra Freef!t, designed for women and men, respectively.

"The gender-specific brands offer a more dynamic and targeted approach to consumer appeal," said Phung.